Adding more detail to a simple blockout render

I am currently adding more detail to the initial blockout render image I created. In this case, the more substantial changes have been adding two identical sets of upper structures on either side of the main facade to support the interest of the main temple, which is very visibly at the front of the scene. Since the objects in the scene don’t have any materials or textures on them, the more interesting aspects of the scene at the moment are the camera angle, the shadows projected from the source of light illuminating the scene, and the arrangement of simple shapes that run along the composition.

I find this specific setting of light to be interesting for the viewer, since a shadow is being projected onto the side structure of a temple from at peripheral structure to the right of the scene. My intention is to keep the elements of the scene to be supporting the center stage as much as possible, avoiding the temptation of using other interesting elements around the scene to create a slight sense of confusion about what is actually important in the scene from what is not really so much. I am probably eventually going to want to extend the creation of these renders into a final scene, but I will have to learn about materials and textures, and how to apply them correctly so they don’t hurt the composition or integration of the scene.

I believe that this is a process of slow, continual refinement, and that it is important to first get a good foundation before moving into more complex techniques. I am finding my initial resistance to working with 3D tools is slowly being reduced, probably initially caused by the discomfort and need to dedicate an extra amount of energy for learning how to use the relevant software. So far blender has been a very accessible tool, with videos online and their manual on their site, making it easier to slowly increase in skill in creating more polished results.

For the weeks to come at least, I am probably simply going to explore with making simple scenes with a design brief in mind, perhaps sometimes working from a sketch and into the 3d world. I want to get comfortable first with the basics, and then add a mental library of techniques I could use to resolve an idea I may have in mind.

I am not likely to add any materials to the objects in the scene for this series of renders, and if I do they are likely going to be very simple ones for the time being. Perhaps I will play around with taking a few more shots from different angles, and then finally adding a few objects towards the bare, central space of the scene. My intention is to keep these temples mostly surrounded by water, indicating that time has changed the space, and these temples have been abandoned for a long time. I wonder how I am going to approach the rendering of water, or the relevant reflections on the water for that matter.